The following is not an admission that anything discussed therein is prior art or part of the knowledge of persons skilled in the art.
Isotopes used in nuclear medicine may be produced through a process that includes irradiation of uranium targets in a nuclear reactor. Targets may be fabricated in a variety of shapes, and may be cladded in aluminum or other metal to protect the chemically reactive uranium metal or alloy and contain the fission products produced during irradiation. For example, targets may be shaped as narrow cylinders, with a diameter similar to a large pencil, and formed of a uranium aluminum alloy with aluminum cladding.